Through the Darkness
by Emmithar
Summary: The Las Vegas Crime Lab finds itself in a race against time when an earthquake traps two of their own in a collapsing structure.
1. Default Chapter

**Through the Darkness**

**By: Emmithar**

**Rating: PG**

**Summary: The Las Vegas Crime Lab finds itself in a race against time when an earthquake trap two of their own in a collapsing structure.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own them, wish I did though**

**A/N: Yes, I know, shame on me, shouldn't be starting yet another one. But I can't resist the temptations, and the plot bunnies that won't leave me alone. So enjoy!**

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**Chapter One: Lost**

Grissom was the last one in the room; he had stopped off to refill his cup. Giving everyone a short nod in substitute for a greeting, he dropped the file folders on the table.

"I know we have two cases open already, but we just got a call in on a DB across town. I have a conference meeting with Ecklie that I have to attend, and I can't get out of it. Greg needs this case to build up more experience in the field, and I need one person here to work on our other cases. Any volunteers?"

He had said everything in roughly one breath. The other three faces watched him with looks of bewilderment on their faces. Grissom had called the meeting nearly an hour ago. They had been waiting now for near forty-five minutes. Then, after coming in late, he manages to conclude the entire thing in less than a minute.

Sara shrugged easily, "I'll go with Greg," she spoke up before Sofia could. She could see the newest nightshift member give her a sideways glance.

"I guess that means I get to stay here," Sofia chimed in, "I'll try and catch us up on things."

Grissom nodded, "Good," he slid the folders over to Sara, who picked them up, flipping through them. "About twenty miles to the north, take a right at Sam's Grocery store and you'll avoid getting lost. Sofia, those fibers from the Henderson's case is top priority, get them done first, I'll see you all later, Ecklie won't be pleased if I'm late."

With that, the trio watched him turn around, and walk out of the room, only to stop and return, grabbing his coffee before leaving once again. Greg shook his head, watching from his chair as Grissom disappeared around the corner and out of sight. "Well, that was possibly the shortest meeting of my life," he quirked.

"Yeah," Sofia agreed, pushing herself up to a standing position. "Well, you two kids have fun; I'll be in trace just in case you might need me."

Sara nodded to her, "Thanks, but I think we can manage," she turned to Greg as Sofia walked out. "Let's roll."

* * *

Greg let out a sigh, holding onto the steering wheel with one hand, the other hanging out of the open window. The light was still red, it had been red for five minutes now, and there was no one else there but them. "These lights _need_ to be censored," he complained, tapping his fingers on the wheel.

Sara shook her head, still reading over the case file. "Just go, no one's coming."

"The light is red Sara," Greg said, glancing over at her.

She shrugged, "And?"

"Going through a red light is illegal," he explained.

"Not when they're busted," she argued, "just treat it like a four way stop."

Greg shook his head, turning back towards the front. "They're not broken, look the lights are changing," he pointed to the other set that had changed from green to yellow.

Next to him, Sara let out a sigh, "We should be there by now."

"Well, he did say take aleft at the grocery store, didn't he? Or was it a right?" Greg wondered as the lights finally changed.

"I think it was left…" Sara started, "No, maybe it was a right, no, I'm sure he said left. Why didn't he just give us directions?"

"I took a left; we should be there, so it was probably a right."

Sara nodded, "More in likely, with our luck."

"You still have the address right?" Greg wondered, pulling into a gas station.

She nodded, "Yeah, why?"

Greg nodded towards a phone booth outside.

"Phone book, directions," Sara gave him a smile as he turned of the car. "Good thinking."

"Well, I am ingenious," Greg stated, unbuckling his seatbelt as he followed Sara out of the car. She turned around to him just as he closed the door, shaking her head.

"Ingenious huh? You just locked the keys in the car."

Greg turned around, pulling on the handle, but sure enough it was locked. He turned back to her, giving her a sheepish smile. "Even we geniuses have our bad days."

"Oh, so this must be a good day then," Sara shook her head, coming over to him. "Sunroof's on this is broken, we can get it open and I'll slide in. Come on, let's look up the address. At least you had sense enough to turn off the car."

Greg nodded, coming up behind her to the booth. "This isn't going to go on my report is it?" he wondered.

"Nah, technically we're not at the scene yet, so I can't start grading you yet. But it will provide for wonderful blackmail whenever I need something."

"Harsh," Greg told her as she flipped the book open.

"So, we're here," she pointed once figuring things out. "We need to go back two blocks and take a right, and if we go straight we'll run right into it."

Greg nodded, following her finger. "But we don't want to run _into _it, right?"

She turned around, giving him an uncanny glance. He laughed, turning back to the car. "Ready for some car mountaineering?" he asked, rubbing his hands together.

Sara patted him on the back as she walked past him. "There is a reason why people say 'never let a man do a woman's job'," she told him.

"Car mountaineering is a woman's thing?" Greg asked, giving her a boost up on to the roof, "Since when?"

"Since I came along, of course," Sara grinned at him as she worked the roof open. Sure enough it slid open quite easily, and she crawled inside, hitting the unlock button. Greg gave her a nod of approval as he climbed in.

"Outstanding, I give you an 8.7," he grinned, starting the car up again.

"8.7? That's all, after all I did?" she wondered, turning her attention back to the file.

"Hey, your form was off, better luck next time."

She shook her head, putting her feet up on the dash. "Let's just get to our scene," she told him with a smile.

It didn't take too much longer to get there. Brass met them outside, briefing them quickly on what happened.

"Sister says she returned from a three day camp, came in, found this. Name is Mark Tery, 37 years of age. Brother was the main guardian, but he was discreet, didn't get out much apparently. David puts TOD at about five days ago."

Sara nodded, letting Greg take the lead into the old factory building. She took a quick look around the place, frowning. "What is this place exactly?"

"From what I understand, an old wheat mill. Sister says that our vic bought it several years ago off of some guy who was selling it cheap. Turned it into a house, or tried to anyways," Brass commented.

Greg nodded as they came up along the DB. "Kind of fell short huh?" he wondered, shaking his head.

Brass nodded, "Yeah, well, I've got to go, have another call to get to. I have two officers outside if you need anything."

Sara waved him a short goodbye as she started taking photos. "Greg, you see that by his left eye? Get a swab of it, will you?"

Greg nodded, opening his case. "It looks like honey," he commented, closing the tip. "Smell's like it too," he added.

"Just don't go eating it," she warned him, glancing up suddenly. "Did you feel that?"

Greg met her gaze, shrugging his shoulders. "Feel what?"

The ground suddenly lurched under them, dropping Greg to his knees. But as soon as it started, it had come to a stop. Sara looked up at him alarmingly, "You feel it that time?"

Greg nodded, holding out his hand, "Okay, no worries, no one's hurt. It's all good."

She let out a sigh, "Let's just hope there isn't another one," she glanced up towards the roof where the hanging lights were still swinging. Shivering slightly she turned back towards the body. "Let's get this done with; I don't want to be in here any longer than we have too."

Greg agreed, going back to work. It wasn't long before both had forgotten about the earlier incident. David had already been back to pick up the DB, leaving Sara and Greg to finish processing the scene.

Sara looked up as Greg called her over. "What does that look like?" he asked.

"Blood spatter," she gave him a grin, "good eye."

"That's what I thought, but if he was shot here, how did he end up over there? David says that the body had no signs of being moved."

"Could mean that this blow didn't kill him, or that this belongs to the killer."

Greg nodded, reaching over to swab the blood when the ground suddenly heaved under them again. This time much harsher than before. Greg and Sara both found themselves on the ground, trying to balance themselves out as it continued.

Sara glanced up at Greg as he grabbed her arm, "Under the table," he yelled, nodding towards the corner. "Go," he pushed her in front of her, the pair half crawling, half rolling as a light fixture smashed into the ground not too far away. They were halfway there when the lights went out, leaving them in darkness as Greg continued to push Sara forward, despite her hesitation. Above them, the roof groaned as it collapsed inward, hanging on itself for a moment before plunging to the ground.

**TBC**


	2. Hospital

**Okay, I'm going to try a little bit of a different twist on this story, a bit of an idea I got from 4X4 last week. I'm going to start with the ending, and work backwards while continuing forward at the same time. So if you get confused, don't worry, all the chapters will tie in eventually.**

**Thanks to all the wonderful responses I've gotten so far. And there will be plenty of Sara/Greg angst later on. **

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**Chapter Two: Hospital**

It was the same smell, the clean, disinfectant odor, that all hospitals carried. Yet each one was different, this one, in her opinion, was more pungent. Leaning her weight back on her arms, she watched as Catherine gently rolled a sock over her bandaged foot, smoothing the fabric out, before slipping an open-toed sandal on.

"That's not going to bother you, is it?" Catherine asked, sitting back on her heels to glance up at her.

Sara shook her head, swinging her leg lightly with a grimace. "No," she commented lightly.

"If it is, then I'll just take them back off. But at least this way your foot has some protection, just in case something happens."

Sara waved her off, sitting up further to examine the cast that held the bones of her lower leg in place. "No, I'm fine, this is great…thanks," she added softly.

Catherine nodded, standing up as the doctor came back in, carrying a pair of crutches. "Here we go, these are a bit shorter than the last, let's see if these work."

Catherine reached around her; Sara held onto her with one arm, using the other to push herself off the bed, balancing on one leg like a flamingo. She reached out with her free hand as the doctor placed the crutches in front of her. Once situated, she used them to walk in a small circle around the room.

"Yeah, these work great," Sara nodded to him, coming to a stop.

"That's good to hear," he smiled at her, "Now, plenty of rest for the next week, I want you to lay off of work, and try and stay off of that leg. Keep it elevated and take some Tylenol whenever the pain gets too bad. Is there someone at home that can help take care of you."

"I'm staying with a friend," Sara explained quietly. She hadn't wanted to, but Nick had persisted. He had an extra bed she could use, and after everything that happened, no one wanted to see her left alone.

"That's good," the doctor nodded, holding his hand towards the open door. "You can go home now."

Catherine had followed behind her, then next to her as they made their way down the hallway. When they came to the elevator, Sara didn't stop, only kept on going, prompting Catherine to catch back up with her.

"Exactly what are you doing?" Catherine asked, walking alongside her now.

"I want to see Greg," Sara answered shortly, already shaking her head as Catherine started to protest. "I haven't seen Greg all week, I want to see for myself that he's doing okay."

Catherine fought off a sigh, "He's doing better, he doesn't look all that great, but he is improving."

Sara came to a stop, turning to her as best she could. "I know what he looks like," she whispered fiercely, "I was with him the entire time, in case you have forgotten. He can't look any worse now then he did then."

"Okay," Catherine nodded, "I just don't want you to be upset, that's all."

"The only way I'll be upset is if I don't get to see him," she stated, already moving forward. She came to another stop shortly after, biting her lip as she cried out shortly in pain.

"You okay?" Catherine asked, watching her.

Sara nodded, opening and closing her hand as she balanced the free crutch under her elbow. "Yeah, must have twisted my hand," she commented dryly.

Squeezing her hand shut once more, she grabbed a hold of the crutch, moving forward again. That had been strange, her hand hadn't hurt like for years now. The same hand that had been cut during the lab explosion. She hadn't seen Greg during that time…why hadn't she?

Greg had been hurt worse than her, and earlier that day they had been joking around. Greg was her friend, so why then, hadn't she gone to see him? She bit her lip as she came up to the open window, remembering why. It was because she couldn't stand to see someone she really cared about in the hospital.

Greg's face still had traces of ash residue, smeared under his eyes along his cheek bones. His one arm was in a cast, folded across his chest, the other tucked up against his head, resting lightly on the double pillows. The sheets ended at mid chest, but Sara knew he had more bandages underneath, he had, after all that happened, it was only expected.

Nick was already in the room, sitting across from the bed talking with him. Greg was awake, his eyes open in tiny, narrow slits. A small smile crossed his face as Nick laughed, before his eyes shut completely, his shoulders raising in gentle sigh.

As she came into the room, Nick glanced up at her, then back to Greg who hadn't responded to the new visitor. Instead of saying anything, Nick stood up, walking over to Sara and pulling her into a gently hug. Sara returned the embrace, doing her best to keep her balance as she pulled back.

"I'll be waiting outside for you," Nick told her, patting her on the back.

Sara gave him a small smile as a thank you, before making her way inside. She dropped her crutches on the chairs, hopping backwards a little before sitting down on the edge of the bed. At the movement she had caused, Greg opened his eyes again, managing to give her a small smile.

"I heard that they're letting you out of here already," Greg told her, his voice still scratchy.

Sara nodded, looking down at her hands in her lap. "Yeah, they said I could go home. I'll still be out of work for a while, Nick's going to take care of me."

Greg smiled, his eyes closing again as he yawned. "That's good…Nick knows what he's doing. You'll be a pampered queen before too long."

"Yeah right," Sara laughed easily, her tone becoming more serious now. "How are you feeling?"

Greg opened his eyes, watching her, "I still can't feel my legs very well…they say that's normal though. They want me to start physical therapy here sometime, that has to be a good sign, right?"

Sara nodded, "You took quite a hit Greg, you're lucky to be alive."

"So says everyone, there's no guarantee that I'll get out of this alive," Greg told her.

"Don't talk like that," Sara scolded him lightly, "You'll be fine, it's just, going to take a while. Probably longer than you want."

Greg only nodded, his eyes closed again. Sara bit her lip, sighing before leaning over, and giving him a small kiss on the cheek. Greg didn't even respond, didn't open his eyes, didn't even smile. She shook her head, watching him. If he had been alright, Greg would have been dancing around the room right now, bragging to everyone that she had kissed him. But he wasn't alright, that was a hard fact she had to face.

"Greg?" she asked quietly, her tone uneasy.

"Hmm?" he opened his eyes, the non-committal sound quiet, maybe even pain filled as he watched her.

She shook her head, giving him a small smile. "Nothing," she told him, "Just get some rest, and I'll see you later."

He muttered something that sounded like 'okay' as she gathered up her crutches, meeting Nick and Catherine outside in the hall. Nick turned to her, nodding, "You ready to go home?"

Sara smiled, nodding back as she followed the him into the elevator. It was a small, cramped area, no windows, only one door. Just like the building, only the elevator had lights. She closed her eyes as the elevator started to move, calmly telling herself that everything was going to be okay.

_Suddenly the lights went out, and all noise disappeared. Opening her eyes she saw nothing but darkness around her, the smell of dust, heavy and thick caused her to cough, as she scrambled to her feet._

_She winced as her head connected with metal, and she sat back down, rubbing the bump that was now forming on the back of her head. She had forgotten that she was under a table. Wait…why was she under a table?_

_Everything came back to her in a rush. Crime scene, earthquake, Greg….where was Greg? She glanced around wildly, calling his name a few times, her voice sounding eerie and muffled, barely echoing now where as before it had echoed endlessly. Coughing again, Sara moved slowly on her hands and knees, still calling for Greg._

"Sara?"

She glanced up quickly, blinking in the lights as a cool breeze hit her. She turned to him, a bit confused as Nick stepped out, holding his hand out to her. "We're at the bottom floor. You okay?"

Sara nodded to, moving quickly as the doors slid shut behind her. "Yeah, I'm okay," she told him, making her way towards the exit. She shuddered as she reached his truck, biting her lip. It had all seemed so real, but it wasn't. It was over, she reminded herself. All of it was over.

**TBC**


	3. Where to Stand

**Short update, but I am having some problems with story. A quick note here, this story will have some Nick/Sara in it, as well as Sara/Greg. You've been warned. **

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**Chapter Three: Where to Stand**

Nick had an area already set out for her by the time they arrived at his place. She thanked him kindly, easing herself down on the makeshift bed. Nick lingered in the doorway, watching her as she settled in.

"Can I get you anything?" he asked as she leaned her head back against the pillow.

Sara shook her head, bringing a single hand up to her face. "No…I'll be fine. Thanks anyways."

Nick nodded, reaching over to turn the light off. "If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask," he reminded her, closing the door.

Sara watched him go, blinking in the darkness as the dust settled around her. Her head was pounding, and she could feel the blood on her forehead. She ran her fingers over the cut, wincing as she did so.

Somewhere around her she could hear Greg's voice; he was talking quietly. So quietly that Sara missed half of what he had said. It was then she could see the faint beam of a flashlight, dancing around her.

Sitting up, wary of the table over her this time, she scooted over as far as she dared, answering Greg's calls. She felt relieved as the light fell onto her face, and in the faint light she could barely make his frame out as he crawled towards her.

He seemed to be okay; at least he was alive, and moving on his own. Greg came to rest only a few feet away from her, resting against a fallen board, breathing heavily as he shifted, bringing the light back up.

"Are you okay?" he asked, coughing at the same time.

Sara nodded, resting her own hands against the heavy boards that crossed just in front of the table. She could hear the metal above her groan from the added weight; there was no way to tell how long it would hold. One thing for certain, was that they needed to get out of there, and soon.

The lights flickered on then, and Sara blinked, groaning at the sudden brightness. Nick came in to the room, kneeling next to her. Glancing at the clock she could see that it was only eleven in the morning, indicating that she had been sleeping for only a few hours.

"Catherine's called me in, we're backlogged, so I won't be home for a while," he whispered, "Will you be okay here? By yourself, I mean?"

Sara nodded quietly, fighting off a yawn as she closed her eyes again. She sighed as she felt Nick's fingers against her face, brushing her hair away from her eyes. "Your medicine is on the counter, and help yourself to anything you want, if you need something, give me a call."

She opened her eyes a crack, her gaze resting on him. "Why are you whispering?" she wondered dully, unable to help but smile.

Nick shrugged, sitting back on his heels. "I didn't want to wake you I guess," he admitted, laughing softly at the idea.

"Well," she pointed out, "I'm already awake."

"I know," Nick said, leaning forward. He gave her a small kiss on the forehead, hesitating a moment before capturing her lips in his own. Sara returned the kiss, wrapping one arm around his shoulders.

Nick pulled away, moving to kiss her neck, but she pushed him away, shaking her head. "No," she told him, looking up at him. "I can't, this isn't right."

"Sara," he said hesitantly. "I love you…I can't help it."

"It's not right," she muttered quietly. "After everything that's happened…"

Nick nodded in understanding, pulling away completely. He muttered a short goodbye before leaving the room. Sara let out a long sigh, closing her eyes. There was so much going on, so much confusion. She hadn't wanted him to stop; more than anything she wanted to be held, to be loved. Loved as if there was no tomorrow. Which in her case, had almost been.

Was it so wrong to want to be held so close? Sara rolled onto her side, staring doubtfully at the clock, watching as the second hand continued to move around in one large circle. She felt so lost, and ashamed. Greg was in the hospital, and all she could think of was her own needs. How selfish was she?

Burying her head into the pillow, she cried softly, wishing away the pain that was building up inside. There was a time, when she was younger, everyone told her what to do, and what not to do. Now she had to figure everything out on her own, and she was at a complete loss.

* * *

He had never felt like more of an idiot. Sara was hurt, vulnerable, and he had used that to move on her. How could he be so inconsiderate? Monstrous was more like it. Still, the feeling he had gotten deep in the pit of his stomach when the call came it had unnerved him.

Was it his fault that he loved her? Several times he had tried to approach her, tried to talk with her. Yet he could never find the right words to say. After the team was split up, he began to see less and less of her. All the while he watched Greg take over his place, watched him become closer to the woman he loved.

One could say that he had resented Greg for that matter. Sure, who didn't like him? Greg had a charm all of his own, he had a knack for making others laugh, for lightening the mood, no matter how dull or dreary. He had seen them work together, they did so well. He had never seen her happier than when she worked with Greg.

Now Greg was I the hospital, classified as serious. There was no say in when he would be out, or where he would be when he did. He had been there with Sara when it had all happened. He had been the one who found them. He had known that there wasn't much time.

**TBC…**


End file.
